Steam trap governor



Dec. 11, 1945.

B. SWIFT STEAM TRAP GOVERNOR Filed June 13, 1943 Fig. 1

56/7 SW/fi INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11 1945 STEAM TRAP GOVERNORBert Swift, Tulsa, Okla. i 1

Application June 18, 1943, Serial No. 491,356

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a governing means interposed between a steamtrap and a steam line in which condensation accumulates, particularlyin. long steam lines and has for its object to provide a governor whichwill reduce the steam pressure in the steam trap, thereby allowing thevalve float to re -seat if the valve is held against reseating incidentto steam pressure in the steam trap, consequently loss of steam throughthe steam trap, incident to the sticking of the float, is obviated.

A further object is to provide a steam governor for steam trapscomprising a casing having a partition therein forming two chambers, aball valve Within one of the chambers and cooperating with a seat on thedown stream side, and the partition with a large port through whichcondensate and steam normally passes without seating the ball valve.Also to provide the partition with a bypass small port, through whichsteam pressure passes when the ball is seated so that a reduced pressurewill result in the steam trap and relieve the high pressure on thefloat, which float is stuck against downward movement incident to theinrush of steam into the steam trap, thereby allowing the floatcontrolled valve to be seated.

The pressure builds up on the down stream side of the partition and inthe steam trap, thereby allowing the ball valve to unseat for normaloperation of the device.

With the above and other objects in. View the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown inthe drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the governor and trap,showing the steam line in transverse section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the governor, showingthe ball valve unseated.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the ball valve seatedfor reducing the pressure on the down stream side of the governorpartition.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a steam line in whichcondensate accumulates incident to long runs of pipe. The steam line I,at spaced intervals, is provided with downwardly extending chamberedwater legs 2, to each of which the device hereinafter set forth isattached, however for purposes of illustration: one trap and governor isshown. I

Extending outwardly from the water leg 2 is a pipeline 3 having a mastervalve 4 and a control valve 5 therein. 'This is conventional structure;In devices at present'constructed the pipe line 3 leads directly to thesteam trap casing t, and in the chamber of which the condensateaccumulates until the float 8 is raised by its buoyancy between theguide fingers 9 for unseating the needle valve H], which cooperates witha valve seat II. This structure is old in the art. It has been foundthat there is a great loss of steam to the atmosphere caused by thefloat 8 becoming stuck in open position, incident to the steam pressurein the chamber l2 of the steam trap, and to obviate this difficulty'thegovernor is provided between the water leg and the steam trap casing.

The governor comprises an elongated casing l3 having an upstream chamber[4 and a downstream chamber I5. Chambers [4 and I5 are formed by atransverse artition l6, one side of which is provided with a chamberedextension I! in the chamber l3 of which is a ball valve l9. Ball valvel9 cooperates with a valve seat 29 for closing a port 2| incommunication with the down stream chamber I5. Under normal operationthe steam and condensate pass from the pipe line 3 into the chamber I4and thence through a large port 22 in the partition I6 to the chamber18, thence around the ball valve [9 and through the port 2| withoutseating the valve [9 to the steam trap chamber l2. When the condensateaccumulates in the steam trap the float 8 moves upwardly incident to itsbuoyancy and the condensate is then discharged through the dischargeport II. When the liquid level drops in the steam trap the valve in isagain seated until the liquid level again builds up in the trap.

It has been found that sometimes there is an inrush of excessive amountsof steam into the steam trap during a liquid discharge operation andthis steam pressure will force the float 8 upwardly above its normalrange of operation and will cause the float to be stuck or frictionallyheld against the guides 9. So long as the steam trap works normally,that is intermittently dumping the water through an unseating andseating operation of the needle valve and during said operation the ballvalve [9 remains unseated and the normal flow of steam continues to pushout the water in the bottom of the steam trap, the steam and waterwillflow around the ball through the port 2| to the trap. However when thefloat remains up and the needle valve unseated, incident to the inrushof excessive steam to the trap and sticks 01' holds the float, therewill be a lowering/of pressure in the steam trap and an exhaust of steamto the atmosphere through the trap, which exhaust will eventually permitthe float 8 to drop and seat the valve. When the valve is again seatedand the flow of steam to atmosphere stopped the pressure on each side ofthe valve and partition will be' e-qualized by the passage of steamthrough port :23, and when this happens the ball valve will again dropor seat to the position shown in Figure 2 for normal operation of thedevice. So long as the differential of pressure on each side of the fiowis much less than that which is capable of flowing outof the valve ,portin the steam trap, hence the float will be released from the steampressure and the valve will again seat, and the pressure will gain buildup or equalize on both sides of the partition 16, and then the valve 19will unseat and again assume its position as shown in Figure 2.

The governor casing l3 is-provided witha filter screen 24 for preventingthe, passage'of rust from the pipe line or foreign matter to the steamtrap, hence this foreign matter gathers in the :up-

stream chamber l 4 and may be drained therefrom from time to time byopening the drain valve 25.

From the above it will be seen that a governor is provided for a steamtrap in connection with a steam line which will reduce the pressure inthe steam trap and release the float which controls the valve in thesteam trap, thereby resuming the normal operation of the float, andpreventing excessive loss of steam. V --The"'device is-particularlyadapted for use in connection'with relatively long steam 'elines, and itis obvious the device will eliminate the neces- 'sity of servicing thevarious steam traps carried by the line to prevent excessive loss ofsteam.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis:

An excess flow valve device comprising a, casing having-an enlargedcentral portion, a transverse partition'in said enlarged portion spacedfrom the ends thereof and dividing the same into an enlarged upstreamchamber and. *an enlarged down stream chamber; a horizontally disposedchambered valve cage carriedat one'end'bysaid partition and entirelysupportedthereby and extending horizontally into thedown stream'chamher;a ball-valve in said cage cooperating With a: port ln'the free end ofsaid valve'cagei said ball having a rolling contact bearing onthe'bottom of the chamber of the cage, a port for admitting fluid 'tothe valve cage chamber'through' the partitiorymeans for admitting fluidfrom them) stream chamber to the down stream chamber through thepartition above the valve cagesaid ports of the cage and partition beingbelow the axis of the casing.

BERT SWIFT.

